With foiling currently the next big thing in Kitesurfing and given such amazing performance in light winds I am super excited to be a part of it and join the Fastafoil Team. Over the next few months I will be documenting my progress so that everyone can see the real learning process, giving you all the tips I learn on the way. Here is Part 1 of my Foiling Diaries which covers my first two sessions :)

The set up- The foil is a Batwing Sencillo by Fastafoil and is designed to get you up and riding as quickly as possible. It is a modular foil so once you are happy riding the foil you can upgrade the front wing to the freeride model or race wing for full speed. The board is a 165x56 freerace board which I had tubes put in by Rowsell & Morisson in Exmouth enabling the mast to be bolted to the board. To start with I am just using the front straps so that when I crash my feet come out easily. Any directional style board will do but it seems wider means easier and it really helps when you touch down.

On the water- My first session was in 6-8knts of wind using the 2015 North Dyno 13m at Marazion. I was pretty nervous after hearing how hard foiling is and some of the stories of crashes. Starting off I was doing my upmost to keep the board on the water while bring the power on. After a few short runs back and forth I started to give a bit of back foot pressure as the power came on in the kite and the foil rose pretty rapidly up out of the water before cavitating and I got slammed. This continued to happen for the next few runs but gradually I was able to stay with the nose coming down and bouncing on the water. Trying to figure out what was going on I concentrated on keeping my weight forward as the board lifted and I started to fly. The acceleration is really noticeable as you start to foil and as such you need to depower the kite. At first my adjustments were a bit too extreme and I would lose too much power and drop back down but after about an hour, I found the groove and started to fly upwind in total silence and approaching a speed around 15knts.

Now I was way upwind and had to somehow go back down! To start with I went back to keeping the board on the water which was hard as the kite kept trying to fall out the sky in such light wind. With more confidence I started to bring the foil up and the acceleration was amazing until I was hit by a massive 8knt gust and exploded hard. Back on again and up and away for a couple hundred metres before another explosion, but I was back downwind after such quick runs and able to ride upwind again. Now with confidence and my skill building, upwind was becoming easier with full foiling runs and dropping down to tack before heading back downwind. This time going down I really concentrated on the kite and keeping more constant power delivery and made it around 500m only dropping down slightly a couple of times before a big gust again and I exploded near the beach grinning from ear to ear.

Session 2 – Marazion again and it was blowing 6-8knts cross shore with a little bit of off. This time with the nerves gone I managed to pump straight up onto the foil and fly upwind on the 13m Dyno, making small adjustments with the bar and keeping the speed as constant as I could. For this session my main aim was to get comfortable downwind and on the second run I really found the groove making small pressure adjustments through my legs to keep the foil level and I really started to fly at around 20knts in total silence but feeling comfortable, that was until a lull in the wind and a big crash. Dropping down to gybe I headed out to sea on the other tack before coming back upwind.

On the way back upwind I started to try foiling tacks and to my surprise almost got round on a few but also totally crashing as well on some. Back downwind and now it was time to try foiling gybes, downlooping the kite I almost managed to stay up but just touched down, totally buzzing with being so close and getting straight back up and flying away before rounding up in the same fassion as you do on a race board. Upwind again and I almost made another tack but then on the next attempt I crashed flipping over the board and the kite fell out the sky twisting in the bridle. In such light wind it was impossible to relaunch even with the 5th line in such light winds. Luckily I was only about 200m out from shore so decided to swim in and call it a day, buzzing from another amazing session.

For sure this foiling is hard and the crashes are big but the rewards are massive and as long as you persevere you will get such a buzz when you start to fly. The Sencillo from Fastafoil is amazing and seems to be an easy foil to learn on as I was not expecting to be flying as quickly as this!

In my second technique feature we are looking at Gybing a raceboard. You can also see in the video some downwind technique and pre start maneuvers which we will look at in more detail soon.

The key to making a Gybe on any type of board is speed and commitment, with the difference to carving round on a twinnie compared to a directional, simply being foot/body position and swapping your feet. The only real change gybing a race board compared to a surf board is that you will probably be using a bigger kite meaning you have to downloop where as when it’s windy on a small kite, you can simply turn the kite before the carve and it flies fast enough to stay in front of you, while a big kite is too slow and you will end up underneath it, making the kite fall out of the sky. There is also the added board width to deal with, which means a wider stance and more rail pressure, but still the same amount of commitment. Most riders have a preferred foot forward and many including myself will always switch feet first one way and after the other. Whichever way you prefer, the move is essentially the same, just swapping the feet first or at the end. Here we look at the Carving Gybe and in the sequence I am changing my feet after. We will be looking at the Slam Gybe another time along with the duck tack, aerial tack & aerial gybe. · Approach at speed, on a broard reach, making sure the kite is powered at 45 degrees and you are going as fast and downwind as possible · Gently bring kite up towards 11.30 (or 12.30) stepping out of the back strap placing foot as far back and onto the leeward rail as possible ( if you change your feet first, then this is when you do it, as below) · Bring centre of gravity low by bending knees, pull hard on front hand to initiate downloop of kite and put weight onto leeward rail · Continue to put all your pressure onto leeward rail while driving through front foot with your head up and forward looking in direction of travel · Keep pulling the kite through the turn and as you come just pass dead downwind start to gradually level the board off by gently standing up · As the kite starts to climb up the new side continue to straighten knees and open shoulders up towards front of board · As kite come up on new side to 1 (or 11), bring your backfoot forward into new strap (on a surfboard bring your foot forward to make a triangle as you twist your old front foot from the strap. On a raceboard you still make this shape but with your heels well apart) · Dive the kite hard bringing the power on while driving through the front foot and moving outboard.Common problems · Getting pulled off sideways as you go into carve- Make sure to bear off far enough before you start to carve and keep the speed up · Lines going slack and kite falling- Move the kite earlier and before you initiate the carve with the board · Wobbling off during feet change- Keep your head up, eyes forward and make sure the kite is high · Losing speed on exit- Make sure you have max speed on entry and be aggressive with the kite, while flattening the board off just after dead downwind · Getting pulled off at end- Ensure you start to flatten board off just after dead downwind to keep speed and avoid turning too far into the wind Whichever board you are performing a Carve Gybe on, the key points remain the same- Speed on Entry, Commitment through the turn, Speed on exit. If you have all of these dialled, then you will be able to look back and smile at your perfect arch left in the water as you speed away. Remember the key to success is- commitment, positive attitude and practise.

Here we are looking at Race Board Tacking . There are 2 types of Tack. The Roll or Duck Tack and the Jump Tack which we are talking through here and in the photos. In the video the first 2 tacks are duck tacks.The Jump tack is by far the easiest to learn and you can get away with small mistakes where as a small mistake with a duck tack is disastrous. On a full blown race board, you are sailing really close to the wind at speed. This fact combined with the large fins, means that you have to keep your upwind momentum all the way through the tack and carve the board through the wind. It is almost impossible to kick the tail out as the fins give too much grip, so you need to have speed on a race board. The tacking angle is relatively small at around 100 degrees. As with all manoeuvres you should approach with confidence, keeping you head up and in the direction of travel. The key to making it and not falling in, especially in light winds is to keep the kite moving at all times.The Tack

·Approach at full speed on an upwind course. Gently start to bring the kite up, moving your back foot out and in front of strap, on the windward side of the board.

·Weight should now be on your heels and through the harness, carving the board into the wind with your hips and shoulders open and facing forward

·Move your centre of gravity (cog) low by bending knees and putting all of your weight through the harness, carving the board hard into the wind and increasing the amount you are turning the kite (on a surfboard in light wind or rough sea, you may need to kick the back of the board out as you are turning the board through a bigger angle)

·When you feel the kite above you at 12, jump up and move your head around the front of your lines, hop your feet around the front as if there is a big spike just in front of front strap, aiming for your new front foot to land in or just in front of the new front strap. Keeping the kite turning throughout. (during the hop, imagine your feet are making a triangle with the point towards the nose on the centreline of the board, just above the big spike)

·Push through front foot, diving the kite hard with cog low, progressively increasing weight on through the harness.

·Step into front strap if not already in, pump board on plane as you step into back strap

·move outboard and back into upwind mode

Common Problems

· Falling backwards on as you carve into wind-Come into the tack with more speed and be positive that you are going to make it, with hips forward and open

· Feet stumble-This is normally due to looking at them! Keep head up at all times

· Falling back at end-The most common problem and due to stopping the kite at 12 as you go around the front. Keep the kite moving and as soon as you hop dive the kite forward especially in light wind

· Board doesn’t turn through wind enough-Sometimes you may be able to pull the board forward with your new front foot as you are in the air as long as you have good board speed. If you have low board speed then you need to kick the tail out when the kite is at 12 to release the fins. In light winds you may even need to do a 180!

Welcome to my new Kitesurf Technique Blog where I will be adding kitesurf coaching tips and advice on a regular basis.Coming 1st is Tacking both on a surfboard and kitesurf race board. Next up will be Downwind and Gybing as well as Race pre start manouvers as I prepare for the 2012 IKA Course Race Worlds in Sardinia in October. Over the Winter I will concentrate on Waveriding Technique.Tacking pics and video will go up this week.

If you would like me to go though anything particular please contact me.

Thanks to my sponsors-North Kiteboarding, Ion and Freeriders.

If you are after kitesurf coaching anywhere in the UK or interested in Learning to Kitesurf in Cornwall with Kitesurfing Lessons at West Cornwall s only BKSA recognised school, please check out my school Pasty Adventures